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Sunday morning, a horrific act occurred. It was not the first and it will not be the last--whether you consider mass shootings or attacks on gay clubs, or terrorism or any kind, etc. But the reaction to it has made me glad.

Answering the call for much-needed blood in the area, thousands of people lined up to donate. Ironically, sexually active gay people are still banned by the FDA from donating blood. But to see the overwhelming response from concerned neighbors, friends, family, and perfect strangers is very heartwarming.

I remember as a child seeing something about gay people on TV. The memory is vague, but as I recall there was some debate as to whether or not it is a choice to be gay. I remember at that time there was a general feeling of disgust toward gay people--either from the TV show itself or from my family. On another occasion, I was watching a TV show and there were two teenage boys who were friends. At one point in the show, the one boy confesses to his friend th…

Someone that I know recently made the comment "damn black people" in reference to problems with crime. When I voiced my concern about the blatant racism in this comment to a mutual friend, the friend said "Well he's right because most of the crime in this area is committed by black people."

So I wanted to take some time to explain why this is upsetting to me. I work at a historically black college. All of my students are black. My employer is black. Most of my coworkers are black. The people I associate with on a daily basis at work are almost all black. And they are good people. I see my students work hard and accomplish great things. They learn what I teach and do well on my tests. I also listen to them and try to understand what it's like being black in the USA.

I am white. For that reason, I am privileged. I belong to the privileged class simply because the melanin count in my skin cells is a certain level. Many people who belong to a privi…